As the owner of a blue and gold macaw, I guess I don't have the right to cast stones at those who would have these as pets. However, I think the people that get them need to respect them for the wild animals that they are and not a domesticated pet. I would worry about safety issues if the animal wasn't properly trained or the handlers weren't knowledgeable enough. I do think people don't think though when they get these animals and think they will be cool pets.

Birds are a very good example. The U.S. actually outlawed importation of wild caught birds back in 1989. So, most of the birds for sale are domestic bred. They are only a generation removed from the jungle really, so they still have many wild traits. No amount of breeding will take this away. As such, they need to be cared for by people with experience and/or knowledge.

But many people get birds thinking they are cute or maybe have watched one to many episodes of Pet Star or Baretta. Many people fail to realize the noise, mess, cost, and maintenance of these creatures. Even small birds can live 15-20 years if cared for properly. Most larger bird species have life spans in the range of 50-80 years.

Now the average time that many birds spend in a house is about 8 years before it gets rehomed. It's a horrible experience for birds especially if they go from one inexperienced owner to another. Many wind up abuse or abandoned. There are bird rescues out there but they, like all rescues, are stretched thin.

Birds are also pair bonders which means many will bond with one person in the house. My bird is bonded to me and hates my husband. He also doesn't work with her to fix this personality clash so he deals with her hatred by trying to stay away from her beak. If a bird is bonded to someone, and then the person gives away the bird, this is devastating for the bird, and it takes time and patience for the bird to overcome this. However, an inexperienced handler might think, oh this bird hates me - and so the cycle continues. It's very sad, and this happens often because the first owner didn't think about the consequences of owning a creature that will potentially outlive it.

So my long drawn out point it - people should not have these as pets if they don't know what they are doing. Animals aren't toys and need to be respected as such.

I think it's fine as long as you are buying it because even if it's "cute" or "different", you are mainly buying it because you love pets and will treat like you would any other pet. I would much prefer to adopt a dog from a human society or the pound because there are so many dogs that need loving homes. All my dogs but one are rescue pups. The one that has papers was kind of bought on a whim for my hubby. I think all pets deserve the love that good doggy parents can give them.

No and not because you could not handle the animal but because these undomesticated animals should be free and not someones entertainment. That little cat in the picture could tear that girl apart if it had the mood to do so.

My chief concern would be: How well domesticated is the pet?

There have been many recent news stories of chimps and other exotic pets turning on their owners' friends and maiming or killing people. It is usually not the owner who is maimed or killed, but a friend of the owner. Insufficiently domesticated animals may be overprotective or territorial.

I think it depends upon the business practices behind your animal. Did they go into the jungle, shoot a mother to steal her babies, bully or threaten the locals, treat the animals like crap as they smuggled them through customs, bribing and threatening all the way, and then dropped the animal in your lap? If so, no, it is not okay. Humans don't have the right to rape the environment or abuse others to obtain objects of amusement. I would also say it's wrong if there is no way for that animal to live happily in captivity. Dogs love living with us. A jungle cat? Probably not so much...

If your new pet came from a responsible source, and your purchase would not be encouraging things like puppy mills, smuggling, etc., then I think it's fine.

Exotic animals often need more care, and an owner is responsible for becoming an expert in that animal's care. The owner is also responsible for educating others about how much of a responsibility that exotic pet is, so they don't encourage irresponsible people to make a fad out of it, in my opinion.